Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

  • enacted

Hon Paula Bennett

Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

Government Bill

67—3

As reported from the committee of the whole House

Contents

Key

1 Title

2 Commencement

3 Principal Act

Part 1
Substantive amendments

Overview

4 Overview of Part

Social obligations of certain beneficiaries with dependent children

5 Section 1A amended (Purpose)

Pre-benefit activities, work-test couple rate, and ordinarily resident in New Zealand

6 Section 3 amended (Interpretation)

Status of examples

7 New section 3B inserted (Status of examples)

Ministerial directions

7A Section 5 amended (Chief executive to comply with directions)

Ordinarily resident in New Zealand

8 Section 11D amended (Application process for benefits)

Pre-benefit activities

9 New sections 11E to 11H inserted

Rights of appeal: work test obligations: drug testing obligations

10 Section 12J amended (Rights of appeal)

Sole parent support

11 New Part 1B inserted

12 Sections 27A to 27D and 27H(1) and (2) and cross-heading above section 27A repealed

Supported living payment

13 Sections 27G and 27H repealed

14 Section 39F renumbered and amended (Purpose of invalid's benefit)

15 Section 40 renumbered and amended (Invalid's benefit)

16 New sections 40C to 40HA inserted

17 Sections 42 and 42A replaced

18 Section 43 renumbered and amended (Subsidy on earnings of blind beneficiaries)

19 Sections 44 and 44A replaced

Sickness benefit abolished

20 Sections 54, 54A, 54B, 54D, 54DA, 54E, and 54F and cross-heading above section 54 repealed

Beneficiaries having additional dependent child: exempting people resident in certain overseas countries, and eligibility for sole parent support

21 Section 60GAE amended (Beneficiaries having additional dependent child: general)

Obligations to work with contracted service providers

22 New section 60GAG inserted (Obligations to work with contracted service providers)

Work preparation exercise

23 Section 60HA repealed (Work preparation exercise)

Certain obligations may be placed on beneficiaries and their spouses and partners

24 Section 60Q amended (Certain obligations may be placed on beneficiaries and their spouses and partners)

Social obligations of certain beneficiaries with dependent children

25 New sections 60RA to 60RC inserted

Transfer to emergency benefit of certain people 65 years old or older

25A Section 61 amended (Chief executive may grant emergency benefit in cases of hardship)

Social obligations of certain beneficiaries with dependent children

26 New section 61AA inserted (Social obligations of person granted emergency benefit)

27 Section 61A amended (Obligations of spouse or partner of person granted emergency benefit)

Disability allowance: preferred supplier and funding of specified expenses

28 Section 69C amended (Disability allowance)

Residential requirements for certain benefits: people ordinarily resident overseas

29 Section 74AA amended (Residential requirements for certain benefits)

Effect on benefit of warrant to arrest beneficiary

30 New section 75B inserted (Effect on benefit of warrant to arrest beneficiary)

When beneficiaries can be paid benefit while overseas, and suspensions of benefits based on discrepancies arising from departure information

31 Section 77 amended (Effect of absence of beneficiary from New Zealand)

31A New section 77A inserted (Effect of absence of beneficiary from New Zealand: department must explain provisions)

32 Privacy Act 1993 amended

Removing exemptions from jobseeker support benefit stand down period while person in approved training

33 Section 80 amended (Commencement of benefits)

Backdating benefits in specified circumstances

34 Section 80BA amended (Calculation of stand down)

Standardising benefit end dates

35 Section 80BD amended (Ending of benefits)

Expiry and re-grant of specified benefits

36 New sections 80BE and 80BF inserted

Review of benefits

37 Section 81 amended (Review of benefits)

One-off hardship assistance and redirection using preferred supplier

38 Section 82 amended (Payment of benefits)

Work test obligations: drug testing obligations

39 Section 88A amended (Interpretation)

Jobseeker support (including deferral of work test obligations on ground of sickness, injury, or disability)

40 Sections 89 to 99AB and cross-heading above section 89 replaced

Work ability assessment

41 New sections 100B to 100D and cross-heading inserted

Work test obligations: drug testing obligations

42 Section 102A amended (Work test obligations)

43 New sections 102B to 102E inserted

Sanctions

43A Section 113 amended (Procedure for imposing sanctions)

44 Sections 115 and 116A replaced

45 Section 117 amended (Sanctions that may be imposed for failures)

46 Section 119 amended (Calculation of failure rate)

47 Section 122 replaced (Meaning of recompliance)

48 New section 122A inserted (Recomplying after second failure to comply with drug testing obligations)

Special assistance under welfare programme: use of preferred supplier

49 Section 124 amended (Money payable out of Crown Bank Account)

Preferred suppliers of goods or services for beneficiaries or others

50 New section 125AA and cross-heading inserted

Contracts with administration service providers

51 Section 125A amended (Chief executive may contract with service providers)

52 Section 125C amended (Release of personal information to and by contracted service provider)

Effect on benefit of warrant to arrest beneficiary: information matching

52A New section 126AC inserted (Disclosure to department of warrant to arrest beneficiary for determining effect on benefit)

Disability allowance: funding of specified expenses

53 New section 132AD inserted (Regulations on use of disability allowance to fund specified expenses)

Effect on benefit of warrant to arrest beneficiary, and expiry and re-grant of specified benefits

54 New sections 132L and 132M inserted

Jobseeker support

55 Schedule 9 amended

References to main benefits

55A Amendments to make clearer references to main benefits

Reorganising headings and relocating section 53A

56 Amendments to make clearer principal Act's structure

Part 2
Consequential amendments, and transitional and savings provisions

Overview

57 Overview of Part

Consequential amendments: work-test couple rate

58 Consequential amendments to principal Act

59 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Consequential amendments: status of examples

60 Consequential amendments to enactments made under principal Act

Consequential amendments: pre-benefit activities

61 Section 11D amended (Application process for benefits)

62 Section 132J amended (Regulations stating pre-benefit activities)

63 Social Security (Pre-benefit Activities) Regulations 2012 amended

Consequential amendments: Sole parent support

64 Section 3 amended (Interpretation)

65 Section 60GAE amended (Beneficiaries having additional dependent child: general)

66 Section 60Q amended (Certain obligations may be placed on beneficiaries and their spouses and partners)

67 Section 61 amended (Chief executive may grant emergency benefit in cases of hardship)

68 Section 70A amended (Rates of benefits for sole parents may be reduced)

69 Section 74AA amended (Residential requirements for certain benefits)

70 Section 80B amended (Interpretation)

71 Section 82 amended (Payment of benefits)

72 Section 162 amended (Youth payment: continuation after age 18)

73 Section 168 amended (Young parent payment: continuation after age 19)

74 Schedule 3 amended

75 New Schedule 3A inserted

76 Schedule 10 amended

77 Schedule 16 amended

78 Schedule 18 amended

79 Other consequential amendments to principal Act

80 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Consequential amendments: supported living payment benefit

81 Section 3(1) amended (Interpretation)

82 Section 39A amended (Child disability allowance)

83 Section 43 amended (Subsidy on earnings of blind beneficiaries)

84 Section 70A amended (Rates of benefits for sole parents may be reduced)

85 Section 80 amended (Commencement of benefits)

86 Section 80B amended (Interpretation)

87 Section 157 amended (Interpretation)

88 Schedule 6 amended

89 Schedule 17 repealed

90 Other consequential amendments to principal Act

91 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Consequential amendments: repeal of section 60HA

92 Consequential amendments to principal Act and to regulations made under it

Consequential amendments: sickness benefit abolished

93 Section 3 amended (Interpretation)

94 Section 12J amended (Rights of appeal)

95 Section 60H amended (Voluntary unemployment or loss of employment through misconduct, etc)

96 Section 61 amended (Chief executive may grant emergency benefit in cases of hardship)

97 Section 66 amended (Exemption of income from friendly or like society)

98 Section 70A amended (Rates of benefits for sole parents may be reduced)

99 Section 72 amended (Limitation where applicant receiving another benefit or war pension)

100 Section 80 amended (Commencement of benefits)

101 Section 102 amended (Application of work test)

102 Section 157 amended (Interpretation)

103 Section 162 amended (Youth payment: continuation after age 18)

104 Section 168 amended (Young parent payment: continuation after age 19)

105 Schedule 9 amended

106 Schedule 10 amended

107 Other consequential amendments to principal Act

108 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Consequential amendments: social obligations of certain beneficiaries with dependent children

108A Section 123 amended (Effect of ceasing to be subject to obligation to comply with section 60HA or work test or section 170 or 171)

109 Section 132AC amended (Regulations relating to childcare assistance)

110 Section 170 amended (Youth support payments: obligations)

Consequential amendments: expiry and re-grant of specified benefits

111 Section 117 amended (Sanctions that may be imposed for failures)

112 Section 119 amended (Calculation of failure rate)

Consequential amendments: jobseeker support

114 Cross-headings above sections 58 and 59B repealed

115 Section 61 amended (Chief executive may grant emergency benefit in cases of hardship)

116 Section 80B amended (Interpretation)

117 Section 82 amended (Payment of benefits)

118 New cross-heading above section 88A inserted

119 Section 99A repealed (Transfer from community wage to unemployment benefit on 1 July 2001)

120 Section 105 amended (Exemption from obligations)

121 Schedule 9 amended

122 Other consequential amendments to principal Act

123 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Consequential amendments: review of benefits

123A Section 11D amended (Application process for benefits)

Consequential amendments: sanctions

124 Section 102A amended (Work test obligations)

125 Section 117 amended (Sanctions that may be imposed for failures)

126 Section 119 amended (Calculation of failure rate)

127 Section 122 amended (Meaning of recompliance)

128 Section 171 amended (Obligations of spouses and partners of specified beneficiaries)

Effect on benefit of warrant to arrest beneficiary: information matching

128A Privacy Act 1993 amended

Consequential amendments: reorganising headings and relocating section 53A

129 Consequential amendments to principal Act

130 Consequential amendments to other enactments

Transitional and savings provisions

131 New section 3C inserted (Transitional and savings provisions relating to amendments to this Act)

132 New Schedule 32 inserted

Schedule 1
New Schedule 3A

Schedule 2
Amendments reorganising headings and relocating section 53A

Schedule 3
Consequential amendments to other enactments: Sole parent support

Schedule 4
Consequential amendments to other enactments: Supported living payment

Schedule 5
Consequential amendments to other enactments: Sickness benefit

Schedule 6
Consequential amendments to other enactments: Jobseeker support

Schedule 7
New Schedule 32

Legislative history


The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: